Heartbreak
by TheRoseThatKnowsPain
Summary: Two-shot. Why do they call it a heartbreak, when everything else hurts too? Losing your first, and only, true love to your best friend/rival, hurts. It hurts so, so much. But he'd deal with the pain, even if he would forever love her; because as long as she was happy, the pain wouldn't be so hard to bear. He'll somehow get back on his feet. He always does. He was Naruto, after all.
1. Naruto

_This story was uploaded on the 1st of January along with 4 other stories to be considered New Year's presents, to give thasnks to my few followers and reviewers who have kept me in high spirits about writing. Thank you all for your support and any sort of encouragement you gave/give to me on my long journey as a writer._

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"_**The love that lasts the longest is the love that is never returned.**_**" ~ W. **_**Somerset Maugham**_

Everything in him hurt; his soul, his thoughts, his feelings, his heart, his spirit. Everything was in pain and was hurting, and crying just wasn't enough to show that hurt or that pain.

It wasn't enough. It was never enough.

He saw her; she looked so, _so_ beautiful. Her light pink hair and her white dress, and the especially arranged flowers she held delicately and the very serene, peaceful and just _breathtaking _smile that he would give anything to see again and again and again—

But she wasn't his to make happy. Never his.

And he saw him too; and he looked _happy_ too, so fucking happy. His ebony hair and special ninja tuxedo, and the little, nearly invisible smile, and that pure love in his eyes that he held for the woman _he _loved too, but he would never have her—she'd never been his, never will be.

_Oh my God Naruto! I'm getting __**married**__, I'm engaged to __**Sasuke**__—can you believe it?!_

No, he can't believe it. It felt like being stabbed again and again and again.

_So this is what betrayal feels like? …Heh, I can understand why people would hate their loved ones._

But it doesn't matter what he wants; it only matters what they want, because they're his special people. It didn't matter that it hurt him so badly, he smiled anyway.

_That's great Sakura-chan!_

But it had been so difficult—to smile, to laugh, to grin, to talk, to walk, to see, to hear, to sense, to smell, to taste— it had been so difficult to _breathe _or to _live_.

_I've loved you for longer, I've never left your side, I was the one making you laugh and smile while he was out killing people ruthlessly, I was the one comforting you while he broke your heart over and over again—__**I**__ have been __**there**__ for you, and what has he done? Betraying the village and leaving you on a bench, that's what he did!_

But after a while, he accepted it; he came to a point where he was at peace with himself. It wasn't as if he hadn't known what would happen eventually—he knew that she loved Sasuke as much as he loved her, but he knew he was not the person to stubbornly make her fall in love with him (mind you, he tried) like she was, so it was clear that Sasuke would fall in love with her sooner or later (who wouldn't?).

He'd end up just like his teacher Jiraiya; alone and loving a woman that would never love him back. He wondered if Konohamaru would end up like that, being his student and all, and he hoped not because he's a good kid and didn't deserve this pain, this hurt.

_If anyone has any objection to this marriage, he shall speak now or shall forever be silent._

He had bit his tongue when the priest said that—a priest extra from a neutral country—just so he wouldn't scream "Yeah, I do, because I've loved her since forever and he doesn't _deserve _her!"

But he kept his tongue, (_un_)fortunately.

_I hereby name you husband and wife, Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha!_

And it hurt so fucking bad. He felt the tears running down his face from where he sat in the tree, and he wished Jiraiya was still alive to find him and give him comfort and distraction of when everything was too much, like he used to do when they'd been training.

But he doesn't, because he's dead.

And it was at that moment where he realized why Jiraiya had loved travelling around; to get away from everything. It was a cowardly way to deal with his problems, yes, but he decided at that moment when Sasuke and Sakura kissed that it would be better that way.

It would be better for his sanity.

He had to go right then, right there, only scribbling a note on a piece of paper;

_Gotta move, hope you have a happy honeymoon and a good start._ _I wish you all the best and hope that both of you will be happy._

_Everyone, don't look for me, I'll be fine. I just need to move, smell a bit of different villages—maybe we'll see each other when some of you guys are on a mission and we happen to cross paths._

_From (__the next Hokage)__ Naruto._

He decided to scribble out 'the next Hokage' because he didn't know when he'd come back.

_Maybe never. _

But he meant what he wrote, his wishes and hopes for their happiness and future. _But it didn't mean that it hurt any less. _And it brought him peace, in a twisted sort of way.

And seconds later he made a clone and made it give the note to whoever he happened to meet first of his precious people, and ran off to his shabby old apartment and grabbed everything that was important for a life on the road and went.

He didn't know where he was going—to be honest, he didn't even care—but he felt lighter, liberated. He was suddenly lifted from all burdens the farther away he got from Konoha, and he could sympathize with Tsunade-baa-chan and Ero-Sennin about getting away from the village.

The village was a double edged sword; beautiful but painful.

But it didn't matter; he'd get over Sakura's marriage with Sasuke, he'd get over the hurt and over the pain, all in time and patience. He'd return to Konoha once he could really and truly be happy for those two, even if he would forever love Sakura and choose nobody else, he'd learn to be happy with her being happy even if it's not with him.

Yeah, it would just take a bit of time and some distance from the village—it'd do him good, he decided, and smiled truly for the first time since he'd known of Sakura's engagement.

_Hey, Naruto, are you alright?_

_Hn, you seem out of it Dobe, you ill or something?_

_Are you alright, Naruto?_

_Don't worry Sakura-chan, I'm fine!_

_Teme! Don't call me Dobe, I'm perfectly fine!_

_Gee Kakashi-sensei, stop worrying about me and focus on Sasuke-teme's and Sakura-chan's wedding! I'm fine, seriously!_

Yeah, he'd be fine. He always got back up on his feet, why not now too? It would just need time to get over this heartbreak.

Even if it would be the most difficult thing he'd done in his life.

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**Hope you enjoyed **


	2. Sasuke and Sakura

_This story was uploaded on the 1st of January along with 4 other stories to be considered New Year's presents, to give thasnks to my few followers and reviewers who have kept me in high spirits about writing. Thank you all for your support and any sort of encouragement you gave/give to me on my long journey as a writer._

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_Hey Naruto, are you sure that you're okay?_

_Nah! Nothing's wrong Sakura-chan!_

She should know better than listen to him and fall for his lies, for his smile. For all the naiveté he had at times, Naruto knew how to lie—actually, she wasn't that surprised when she noticed. Hell, noticing it had taken over four years of knowing him. He was a liar, a good one too, but he wasn't being selfish—he just wanted her to feel better, and she knew that since noticing how much of a liar he was.

She felt bad, she really did, but she was just so damn happy that _Sasuke _of all people, her great love since she'd been little, loved her back and cherished her.

_Sakura, I love you._

And it had made her so happy when he'd said it, too. It felt like coming home, like finally finding a missing piece of her soul. She half-wished that Naruto wouldn't had come on the night before her wedding day, deciding to be honest about his feelings for the first time when being around her.

_Sakura-chan, I love you. I've loved you since we've been in the Academy and despite your punches and yelling I love you. I love your embarrassed blush, your pink hair, your green eyes, your flawless skin, your elegant but deadly hands—everything, I love everything of you. I know you love Sasuke, but… I swore to myself I'd confess to you as soon as I fulfilled my promise to you, because I couldn't be the man I'd want you to see if I wouldn't have brought him back._

_Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry to ruin the night before your wedding, but I just wanted you to know this… I wanted you to know that I'll never fall in love with anyone else in my life ever again, little affairs and maybe a wife someday, but my heart will always only belong to you, and only you._

She knew for a long time that Naruto loved her—Sai made sure of that—but when he went out silently without saying anything else, she just burst into tears like the day Sai told her. It was so unfair to Naruto, she knew that from the start, but she couldn't help but falling in love with Sasuke, and she was so sorry for it.

She was so sorry.

But she forgot her guilt once she walked into Sasuke's and soon-to-be-her house, and saw his dark, dark eyes brighten in love once he saw her walking in.

She felt guilty, so very guilty, and she knew she was being cruel to Naruto and being unfair to him, but when she saw those ebony eyes it suddenly didn't matter—all that mattered was Sasuke and Sasuke alone.

_I'm so sorry Naruto_.

"Hey," he whispered, "How are you?"

She didn't answer, she only went over and sat in his lap, and would've been content forever if she would've been allowed to be curled up on his lap forever, but she felt his slender fingers gently grab her chin and lift her head up, wanting her to look at him. She didn't really want to because she knew that her eyes were still a bit puffy and red from the crying.

"Okay," he said once he saw her face, her eyes in particular, and frowned deeply, "Who's ass am I kicking?"

\

She couldn't help it; she laughed. It died shortly after when she remembered the reason for her tears.

"Naruto confessed to me."

Sasuke didn't say anything because he knew about Naruto's love for Sakura since they'd been on the same team, and he knew what thoughts were going through Sakura's head and what feelings she felt in her heart. He couldn't help but agree that they were being so unfair to Naruto, but he loved Sakura too much to let her go now that he had her.

Besides, he knew that Naruto knew about Sakura's feelings since they'd been children, and he had to admire Naruto's strength to let the woman go that he so obviously loved—maybe even more than Sasuke loved her—but maybe it was because of that strong love for her that he decided to let her go. Either way, Sasuke knew he could never do such a thing no matter how much he loved Sakura.

"He told me that he will forever only love me, too."

_Hey bastard, can you make a promise of a lifetime for me?_

"Sounds like the Dobe, alright."

_What, can't do it yourself? How shocking._

She squeezed his hand, "I feel so guilty, Sasuke."

_No, this time I can't, because the promise I want you to make is because you're the only one who can do it._

He squeezed back, "Don't. He wouldn't want you to feel guilty—he'd want you to live and be happy; it's just the kind of person he is."

_Alright, what do you want me to promise?_

_I want you to promise me…_

She smiled weakly, "You're right, he is."

…_that no matter what happens…_

"I know." And he does.

…_you'll keep Sakura-chan safe and make her happy—make her really happy for me in the way I can't._

"I know," he repeated mostly to himself, whispering it in her hair.

_I promise._

_Thank you, Sasuke._

But it didn't lessen any of the guilt he felt, but he'd learnt to live with it just like Naruto would learn to get over their marriage; it would just take time to do so.

And it would most likely be the hardest thing he'd ever done.

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**Part 2! The ending is a bit… inconclusive, I know. Doesn't say if Naruto gets over the pain or the hurt, or if Sasuke and Sakura get over the guilt and shame but, oh well. Whatever. I'm thinking about an 'epilogue', although maybe this could be considered as a 'prologue'? Ugh, I don't know. I just know that I'd like to write a bit more about them.**

**Did I do Sasuke a bit too OOC? Ah, I don't really care to be honest. I think if a man is in love, he will change everything about him just for her. Maybe. I'm not sure, never really saw it happening, only heard that it happened. Whatever. Naruto is maybe a bit OOC too… Oh well, if I change my mind I can still change it—no big deal.**

**Thank you for reading **


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